8 Foods That Should Never be Refrigerated

30-05-2015

By chikitsa

Did you know that most of the food that we throw away is straight from the refrigerator? A recent study indicated that food that is thrown into the trash bins has been stored in the fridge for way too long and chucked out when it is finally rotten. But if you look at the basics of food preservation, many items that we store in cool temperatures are much healthier when they are kept in room temperature. Under cold storage, they tend to lose their flavour, colour, texture and are also prone to bacterial contamination. Here’s a list of foods that should never be refrigerated. Take a peek into your refrigerator and see what needs to be out immediately.

1. Bread – At the baker’s, bread is never stored in freezers. It is left outside in racks for us to check and buy. So why refrigerate it at home? Just leave it outside and it will stay fine. Bread has a very short life span and can tiny moulds are seen after a week. And refrigeration can never inhibit mould growth in bread. Instead, cold temperatures make bread hard and rough which can never be consumed. If a loaf is leftover, just leave it in a place where there isn’t sharp sunlight. It will definitely stay fresh.

2. Onions and garlic – They will make your refrigerator smelly and lose their flavour too. Onion bulbs and garlic cloves do extremely well in normal weather conditions. When stored in the fridge, they will lend their odour to the other vegetables. Moreover, there is a risk of fungal mould growth on them which makes them inedible. Leave them in a basket with open holes so that they can breathe. They can live up to 3weeks.

3. Tomatoes – For tomatoes to ripen naturally and enhance their flavour, they need room temperature conditions. When you store them in a refrigerator, they not only lose their flavour but also stop ripening and turn hard. The extreme cold temperature breaks the thin membranes of the fruit wall making them unfit for consumption. Leave them in a basket over the counter and let them thrive.

4. Honey – If you leave honey in a bottle forever, it will still stay hygienic that way, forever. When honey is stored in the refrigerator, the cold can crystallize it or make it gummy which you can never use. Tightly seal the container and leave it in a rack.

5. Herbs – Keeping herbs fresh is a task in itself. Unless you are storing them in a zip lock bag, never leave herbs open in the refrigerator. Leaves can absorb all the other odours in the cold storage and shed theirs in the process. Moreover, they become lifeless and go dry within a short span. Either wrap or leave them in the open. Just sprinkle a little water every now and then to prevent withering.

6. Bananas – Unless the bananas are fully ripe and you plan to use them slowly, do not refrigerate the fruits. Unripe bananas can rot and their ripening process is slowed down when left in cold. They might also lose their nutrient content and are rendered useless for consumption.

7. Pickles – All pickles that we consume on a daily basis contains huge amounts of salt and spices that prevent contamination and spoilage. When left in the refrigerator, the cold conditions can make them lose their flavour and crispness. Just leave the jars out in the kitchen. They can survive long periods without getting spoilt.

8. Oils – Cooking oils must never be left in cold. They can live perfectly fine under normal temperature and freezing temperatures can crystallize them. Seal them tightly and leave them on a rack in the open.